Creators ditching IG for Substack?

Welcome back!

Is Substack the next big thing for Creators?

Lab-grown jewelry founder Meg Strachan built her brand, Dorsey, on creator partnerships—but she's moving beyond Instagram and TikTok. Instead of playing algorithm roulette, Strachan is betting on Substack as a direct way to engage audiences and market brands.

Unlike Instagram, where followers are passive scrollers, Substack fosters real community—which is why Strachan has her own newsletter, What I Put On Today (18,000+ subscribers), and why Dorsey is now sponsoring Substack creators.

Case in point: Dorsey recently partnered with Feed Me, a culture and business newsletter, where Strachan answered reader questions directly—a level of engagement that traditional influencer posts don’t offer.

For creators, Substack isn’t just a newsletter platform—it’s a content hub that lasts. Instead of disappearing into the void of social feeds, posts stay searchable, drive long-term engagement, and feel more editorial.

The trade-off? Running a Substack takes work. But for brands and creators looking for deeper audience connections (and ad deals that don’t disappear in 24 hours), it might be the next big move.

Today’s top updates

• Instagram is letting creators get paid to leave testimonials in the comments of brand posts—blurring the line between genuine praise and paid promo.

• YouTube will reduce mid-roll ads that interrupt content, automatically adding ad slots at natural breaks instead.

• Adobe just launched Photoshop for iPhone, bringing pro editing tools to mobile with both free and paid features—Android users get their turn later this year.

• Meta is phasing out U.S. fact-checkers while boosting viral content payouts, making misinformation spread even easier.

• Mastercard's new "Business Builder" cards target independent creators, offering business tools, payment solutions, and cybersecurity perks.

• Adobe's study finds that 29% of TikTok users are more likely to buy a product if it's paired with a song they like, with indie and hip-hop fans leading impulse purchases.

• OpenAI is launching a free version of Advanced Voice mode using GPT-4o mini, keeping natural conversation quality while cutting costs.

Twitch makes it easier for streamers to land sponsorships

Twitch is rolling out Creator Profiles—a new tool that helps streamers showcase their content and interests to potential sponsors. In a few weeks, streamers will also be able to download their profiles as infographics to share with brands outside Twitch.

To sweeten the deal, Twitch is partnering with StreamElements to bring sponsorship opportunities directly to the platform. This means streamers can now access paid brand deals without leaving Twitch, complete with guaranteed base payouts and performance incentives.

These updates are part of Twitch’s push to make sponsorships more accessible, but they’re not replacing existing brand deals—just giving streamers more ways to get noticed. And with more sponsorship features on the way, Twitch is doubling down on helping creators turn content into cash.

Tumblr backs Tapestry, the anti-algorithm timeline app

Tumblr is funding Tapestry, a timeline app that lets users curate feeds from across the open web—RSS, Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, and more—without algorithms deciding what they see.

Launched via Kickstarter in 2024, Tapestry hit the App Store this month. Tumblr’s investment will help build a macOS version and introduce sponsorships for independent creators instead of traditional ads.

As social platforms push more algorithm-driven content, Tapestry offers an alternative—giving users full control over their feeds. With Tumblr’s backing, it could become the go-to for creators looking to escape the algorithm.